The Luminous Figure
by hermionestrangr
Summary: Hermione spies a suspicious looking figure beside her window and ventures out to investigate


**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them! This is the first fanfiction I've ever published so a bit of constructive criticism would be great! **

**Thanks,**

**Hermione Strangr ^_~**

From the minute I woke up I knew something wasn't right. After years of hanging out with two of the schools biggest magnets for trouble I learnt that my instincts were always right. Well 99% of the time. And sure enough, as my eyes frantically glanced around the girl's dorm room, I spied a very suspicious looking shadow through the window. Someone was standing on the ledge outside the room. My heartbeat quickened but I knew I had to keep calm. I'd been in situations far worse than this, and I knew that the calmer I was the quicker I could think. So far the shadow, however menacing and ominous it appeared, didn't seem to be making any attempt to enter the dorm nor seemed to be moving in any way. Instead it looked as if the figure was watching something, waiting. But for what? My hand shook as I reached for my wand sitting lightly on the table beside my bed, my eyes quietly assessing the figure in the window frame. It appeared to be a man, though despite having broad shoulders the figure had quite a lean figure. The darkness of the night prevented me from deducing any more from the man, though the full-moon in the sky reflected brightly against his light, short hair. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't be sure. I slowly got out of bed, paying special attention to not let my footfalls alert the intruder. I had almost made it to the window when I felt something warm and squishy underneath me. Crookshanks. With a loud screech he bolted, causing me to lose my balance and fall sideways. Right through the window.

Now most people's instinct would be to scream, and maybe a few years ago I would have done exactly that. But now after running from giant trolls, and being chased by frightening teachers/werewolves I had learnt that screaming did absolutely nothing for your safety. After crashing through the window (thank Merlin the glass in the dorm rooms were especially charmed not to harm anyone who falls (or is pushed) through it) I felt cold hands grasp my shoulders tightly from behind, preventing me from falling to my imminent death. I spun around swiftly on my heels and tilted my chin up confidently to meet the eyes of the intruder.

"Malfoy?!" I exclaimed, rather ruder than I would have liked but at least I had good reason to. "What are you doing here?" Draco looked at me with a mixture of astonishment and shame. It quickly disappeared and his trademark smirk appeared on his face.

"Well Granger, I could answer that question" He replied, leaning his arm on the window "But then again I just saved your sad little life, so I don't think I will." He grinned at me and I felt like smacking him upside the head. The insufferable little prat was hiding something from me and there was nothing I could do to make him tell me. While I was smart I knew (and so did he) that I couldn't compete with brawn and dark magic.

"I know that the reason you're here must be bad" I huffed. Draco crossed his arms, still smirking at me.

"Why can't I be the hero for once Granger?" I laughed back at him.

"Please! You-" I began but before I could continue his hand clamped over my mouth. I tried to yell with indignation but Draco quickly shushed me. And that's when I heard it. The sound of train whistle in the distance. Something didn't sound right about it, it sounded odd and vaguely muted. I looked up at Draco and I knew he could hear it too. His eyes anxiously darted around, but he wasn't looking towards the ground, where one would expect to see a train, he was looking towards the sky. It was then that I noticed something. What I had originally thought was the moon, a luminous orb hanging gracefully in the sky, was actually a ghost train, translucent and eerie and heading our way. I quickly removed Draco's hand from my mouth and tried to remember all the things I had read about ghostly vehicles but it didn't seem like I knew anything. What I did know was that this ghost train didn't look too friendly.

"Draco we need to get inside!" I said frantically pushing my hands against his chest, trying to push us both inside the dorm room. "Now Draco!" I thought he would make a sly dig towards my anxiety but when I looked up into his cold, grey eyes they were wide with fear. He shook his head firmly, took my hands from his chest and held them tightly behind my back. I wriggled urgently, trying to get them free but he wasn't budging.

"Let me go Draco!" I shrieked and began kicking his shins. "You're going to get us both killed, let me go inside now!" He looked down at me and I saw sadness and desperation in his eyes. I didn't understand what was happening but I knew we were in danger. I stopped kicking and tears began to stream down my face. "Draco" I begged "Please". And that's when he kissed me. I didn't understand what was happening but through that kiss I could feel the fear, anxiety and desperation in both of us. I could feel his worry, his self-doubt and the goodness inside him that he kept from everyone. I could feel love. I can't explain how I felt these things, but I did and I know that they were real. I was kind of in a daze after Draco removed his lips from mine. I do remember looking up into the sky and noting the disappearance of the train and I remember we didn't say one word afterwards. He entered the dorm room with me and sat beside me as I went to sleep.

The next morning he was gone and the only evidence he was there was a book sitting gingerly on the windowsill. I was thankful that it was Christmas holidays and the dorm room was devoid of any of my roommates. I walked across the room cautiously, observing that the window had been repaired, and read the title of the book. _The Darkness of the Past_. I noticed a page had been bookmarked and quickly opened it up.

**_The Ghost Train_**

_Early in Hogwarts's youth Godric Gryffindor became a controversial man after allowing _

_women to study at Hogwarts, at a time where most females where deprived of an _

_education. One man in particular, Theodore Ignarus, who was particularly peeved by_

_Gryffindor's decision, kidnapped all the females in Gryffindor's House in his train and_

_were never seen again. Now, every one hundred years Ignarus' ghost train drives through_

_the night sky, two days before Christmas and takes all females in the Gryffindor girls dorm_

_rooms. _

I was the only girl in the Gryffindor who had decided to stay these Christmas holidays. Draco knew exactly what was happening and he decided to save me. Draco Malfoy had not only saved me from a sexist ghost train but he had also kissed me, Hermione Granger! Oh Merlin.


End file.
